Baguio dengue cases up 500% in 2016, ‘Very alarming’

Baguio City health officials are reporting a dramatic increase in dengue fever cases this year to date compared to 2015. City hospitals have recorded 1,007 cases of dengue from January to June this year, a more than 500 percent increase over the 214 cases over the same period in 2015.

Aedes aegypti Image/CDC

No deaths have been recorded.

The spike in dengue cases were described as “very alarming” by Baguio Health Services Office Infectious Disease program coordinator Dr. Donnabel Tubera. She also expects number to rise further with the upcoming rainy season.

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. There are four closely related but antigenically different serotypes of the virus that can cause dengue (DEN1, DEN 2, DEN 3, DEN 4).

Dengue has a wide spectrum of infection outcome (asymptomatic to symptomatic). Symptomatic illness can vary from dengue fever (DF) to the more serious dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).

Dengue Fever (DF) – marked by an onset of sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and pain in muscles and joints. Some may also have a rash and varying degree of bleeding from various parts of the body (including nose, mouth and gums or skin bruising).

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) – is a more severe form, seen only in a small proportion of those infected. DHF is a stereotypic illness characterized by 3 phases; febrile phase with high continuous fever usually lasting for less than 7 days; critical phase (plasma leaking) lasting 1-2 days usually apparent when fever comes down, leading to shock if not detected and treated early; convalescence phase lasting 2-5 days with improvement of appetite, bradycardia (slow heart rate), convalescent rash (white patches in red background), often accompanied by generalized itching (more intense in palms and soles), and diuresis (increase urine output).